Why Artemis II Matters: Risks And The New Space Race
SmartHERNews
Jenna Lee
4.9 • 660 Ratings
🗓️ 31 March 2026
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jenna interviews space journalist Kristin Fisher of Endless Void Studios about why NASA’s Artemis II mission matters, framing it as a choice to lead or follow as China and others pursue the Moon.
The daughter of two NASA astronauts, Fisher says success is simply returning the four astronauts safely, calling it NASA’s riskiest human test flight since Apollo because this rocket has flown only once and, after a certain part of the journey (a trans-lunar injection) there is no rescue option.
She explains recent delays stemmed from hydrogen/helium leak issues and notes a “point of no return” before a single lunar slingshot flyby that will set a human distance record.
Kristin describes the importance of the “lunar base” competition between the U.S., Russia and China for “property” at the Moon’s south pole - a key spot for potential ice that carries huge national security implications.
Fisher also shares the details of her “Launch Party” live coverage aimed at space-curious viewers.
00:00 Why Artemis II Matters
01:11 Leading the Moon Return
02:29 Defining Mission Success
03:43 Human Risk and Reality
05:54 Hydrogen Leak Delays
08:47 Countdown and Launch Day
11:59 Flight Plan to the Moon
13:33 Why This Crew Won’t Land On the Moon
14:42 Stakes of the Space Race 2.0
17:33 Launch Party Coverage
20:47 Final Thanks
Kristin Fischer:
Launch Party
Endless Void Studios
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Why does Artemis II matter? This is the question of the week. We could be witnessing history together, |
| 0:09.8 | and we have our favorite space journalist back with us, Kristen Fisher of Endless Void Studios. |
| 0:15.8 | And she is the one to talk about this. Because Kristen, when I hear the news reports, I have to admit sometimes my eyes |
| 0:21.2 | glaze over a little bit. And then when I hear the space reports, like the real technical stuff, |
| 0:25.8 | my eyes also glaze over a little bit. So I'm looking for you to de-glaze us. |
| 0:31.1 | That is my specialty. I call it de-glazing, but also denumbing. We've become so numb to this. |
| 0:37.4 | And then there's also an |
| 0:38.6 | intimidation factor. I mean, even I feel this sometimes where this is really technical stuff |
| 0:43.6 | and people don't want to feel stupid, but it's so easy to feel that way. But you're not alone. |
| 0:49.3 | I grew up around astronauts. I study this. This is all I do. And even I get intimidated by this material sometimes. Well, that actually makes me feel a little bit better. Kristen is the daughter of two NASA astronauts. So this is in her blood. It's in her DNA. And also, we haven't been back to the moon in about 50 years. 50 plus years. So it's been a while. So we could all use to brush up a little bit on this. But let's start with that big question. Why does Artemis II matter so much? |
| 1:15.1 | I think one of the Artemis II crew members put it best. And it's this question of why do we go to the moon? |
| 1:23.4 | Why should we do this? And what she said was it's not a question of if we should go. |
| 1:29.3 | It's a question of if we should lead or should we follow. |
| 1:33.3 | Humanity is going to the moon. |
| 1:35.3 | China is going to the moon. |
| 1:37.2 | Other countries will eventually follow. |
| 1:39.5 | So the question is, do the U.S. want to follow them or do they want to lead the way? And so why is it important |
| 1:47.0 | for not just the United States and NASA, but for all humanity? Because our future really hinges on, |
| 1:58.3 | can we make ourselves a multi-planetary species? |
| 2:01.7 | Species. |
| 2:02.5 | Can we extend our consciousness beyond planet Earth? |
| 2:05.2 | Because if we do not, it is only a matter of time before we go the way of the dinosaurs. |
... |
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